The Human Nephron Filter: Toward a Continuously Functioning, Implantable Artificial Nephron System

Background: Nearly 900,000 patients worldwide have end-stage renal disease and require dialysis or kidney transplantation, and this number is expected to more than double by 2010, placing considerable stress on healthcare systems throughout the world. Despite the availability of these forms of renal replacement therapy for nearly four decades, mortality and morbidity is high and patients often have a poor quality of life. Methods: We have developed a human nephron filter (HNF) utilizing nanotechnology that would eventually make feasible a continuously functioning, implantable artificial kidney. The device consists of two membranes operating in series within one device cartridge. The first membrane mimics the function of the glomerulus, while the second membrane mimics the function of the renal tubules. Findings: The device has been computer-modeled and operating 12 h/day, 7 days/week, the HNF provides the equivalent of 30 ml/min glomerular filtration rate (compared to half that amount for conventional thrice weekly hemodialysis). Conclusions: The HNF system, by eliminating dialysate and utilizing a novel membrane system created through applied nanotechnology may represent a breakthrough in renal replacement therapy based on the functioning of native kidneys. The enhanced solute removal and wearable design should substantially improve patient outcomes and quality of life

Research on the symbolic representations system in Egypt from Neolithic art to the pyramid texts.- Origin and formation of solar religion elements in pharaonic Egypt

Dès les premières dynasties, le pictogramme fut dans l’écriture le prolongement des représentations figuratives naturalistes, logogrammes dans les palettes funéraires décorées protodynastiques. Ce constat nous porte à les mettre en correspondance avec l’art pariétal du néolithique nubien, le prédynastique égyptien, et celui des aires culturelles périphériques. La reconsidération des pétroglyphes en tant que symboles et idéogrammes, c’est-à-dire des mythogrammes autant que des logogrammes-phonogrammes polysémiques permet de dégager un système structurel de représentations symboliques universel dans la vallée du Nil. Essentiellement funéraire, il est organisé autour d’une nouvelle lecture en relation aux mythes fondateurs de l’Œil d’Horus/solaire, s’exprime dans des rites primitifs de revivification, de renaissance, néolithiques et prédynastiques, explicités ensuite durant les premières dynasties sur des tablettes, des sceaux-cylindres votifs, et l’onction du mort avec les sept huiles canoniques et, enfin, dans les Textes des Pyramides. Contrairement à l’idée commune d’opposition des notions de Nature-Culture, il est question de les conjuguer, de réconcilier la dualité non binaire et de voir, par exemple, les fonctions héliotrope et/ou héliophore des animaux du bestiaire soudanien, avec Sokar le faucon funéraire, les garants bienveillants des métamorphoses et de renaissance du soleil/des défunts, par ailleurs, félidés, canidés, antilopes…, investis du numineux des divinités tutélaires. À la lueur d’une nouvelle lecture du mythe “osirien” primitif de métamorphose, nous reconsidérons les conceptions sur le sacrifice animal sur des bases d’anthropologie religieuse. Loin d’une maîtrise et soumission de la nature, et d’un diffusionnisme, l’interculturalité de la pensée mythique archaïque première dans la vallée nubiano-égyptienne et des régions périphériques multiethniques implique, vis-à-vis du monde naturel et des forces spirituelles numineuses, la transculturalité des conceptions solaires et le partage pluriculturel, transhistorique des croyances résurrectionnelles polycycliques. Ainsi, les pétroglyphes d’animaux, les scènes de chasse animale, les représentations de barques, de sandales, etc., sont de nature funéraire votive, apotropaïque.Since the beginning of the first dynasties, the pictogram in writing was the extension of naturalistic figurative representations, logograms in the decorated funerary protodynastic palettes. This statement carry us to link them with the parietal art of Neolithic Nubia, the egyptian Predynastic, and peripheral cultural areas. We have reconsidered the petroglyphs as polysemic symbols and ideograms, i.e. mythograms as well polysemic logograms-phonograms, allowing us to draw up a structural system of symbolic representations, universal in the Nile valley. Basically funerary, the system is organised around a new reading in connection with the founding of the ‘Eye of Horus’/solar myths, and express itself in primitive Neolithic and Predynastic rites of revivification, rebirth, more explicit afterwards during the first dynasties on labels, votive cylinder-seals, and anointing the deads with the seven holy canonical oils, finally in the Pyramid Texts. Contrary to the common idea which opposite the Nature-Culture notions, there is some question to combine them, to reconcile the non-binary duality and to see, for example, the heliotrope functions and/or heliophore animals of the sub-Saharan bestiary, with Sokar the funerary hawk, the benevolent guarantors for the rebirth and metamorphosis of the sun/deads; otherwise felids, canids, antelopes…, invested by the numinous of the protecting divinities. In consequence of a new reading of the primitive ‘osirian’ myth of metamorphosis, we have reconsidered the conceptions about animal sacrifice on the basis of religious anthropology. Far from bringing under control and submission of nature, and diffusionnism, the intercultural (cross-cultural) of the first archaic mythic thought in the multi-ethnic nubian-egyptian valley and associated neighbouring areas involves, towards the natural world and the numinous spiritual strengths, the cross-cultural of solar conceptions and multicultural, trans-historic sharing of the polycyclic resurrectional believes. Thus, the animal petroglyphs, cynegetic scenes, boats and sandals representations, etc., are of funerary votive, apotropaic nature